Sunday, July 28, 2013

Address: 2863 Foul Bay Rd.Phone: (250) 598-4794Website: http://www.charellis.com/Price: ~$10 for a sandwichNotes: The best kept secret in the city for breakfast & lunch. Closed Mondays.
The deli/imported food store on Foul Bay in the little strip mall between Camosun and Safeway has (somewhat) recently opened up a small cafe as well, using local ingredients and meats and cheeses from their 'parent' shop. The result is a hole in the wall that is cosy & welcoming with delicious, fresh and (did I mention?!) delicious food.

The space is tiny; if you think of a galley kitchen this is a galley restaurant! There is a bar that runs along the length of the little prep space, and another set of bar-like seating on the far wall. They have recently also purchased the flower shop that's in between the original Charellis and Charellis & Co, so who knows if an expansion might be in the works or not, but the style of food they're doing lends itself to cuddling up to the bar or stopping at the to-go window to grab a bite on your way to work.

Much like some of my favourite restaurants (Ferris' upstairs, the now gone mini-Spinnakers space in James Bay) the set up is simple: a hot plate, microwave and mini-oven and some amazing food prep for a well-designed menu. I think there's something magic that comes out of someone having to design around constraints... creativity seems to blossom when a good chef gets involved. Luckily, this is a very, very good chef! Local Chef extraordinaire Anna Hunt, formerly of Paprika Bistro, is the woman behind the menu here so it is no surprise that she's done an amazing job. The menu changes weekly, so lots more opportunity for creativity to come!

Note: although they say they only take cash, during hours of operation of the Charellis deli you can pay with your debit next door.Food:July 23, 2013

Ploughman's Platter

I finally had a day where I could snag my coworkers away from UVic for a bite to eat! I convinced them we should split the Ploughman's platter and we weren't disappointed. We ended up ordering extra nibbles on the side (since the platter is designed for two!) but in the end we were stuffing down the last bites and moaning about our full bellies. They've pretty much admitted, from what I hear, that they're barely making money on the platters... you couldn't buy that much meat and cheese from the deli for $15! You can't see it, but there's two more kinds of cheese on the far side of those olives as well as a generous portion of salumi! Split 3 ways it was a beautiful, beautiful summer lunch on the patio.

Sausage Roll

The other thing that doesn't change on the menu is the sausage roll. It's not just any sausage roll, however - there is egg and cheese baked right into it! The result is bordering on decadent... warm, greasy & utterly umami (there really is no other word to describe it...). It's going to take a lot of will power to stop by only once in a while for one of these.May 17, 2013

Breakfast Bake

It was a rainy may day when we arrived to check Charelli & Co out for the first time, and a breakfast bake was calling to me. In fact, my partner-in-food-and-life and I broke our most cardinal rule of dining out together and, for the first time in almost 10 years that I recall, we ordered the same thing.

Retro cartoons on the little tv mounted above the bar kept us occupied while our bake... baked. The Skillet came out of the oven burning hot and smelling incredible. The bake had mashed potatoes, which are my most favourite thing, and the baked eggs on top are a nice touch - a rare thing to find in a breakfast dish. I spiced things up a little bit with their aardvark sauce, a cute alternative to regular hot sauce.

Ginger Snap

They seem to have an ever-changing selection of beautiful baked goods in addition to their menu. I'm a sucker for a ginger snap. This did Not disappoint.

My one criticism is that they're serving Canterbury brand coffee. In a city that, to badly mix a metaphor, is steeped in coffee culture and local roasters I was disappointed to see this big chain serving up their brew. Yes, I am a coffee snob but... this seems like the perfect spot to be serving a lovely local brew. I realize the reason is probably constraint of space, but I would love the option for a french press if I'm staying in!

Service:July 23, 2013
Despite it being peak lunch hour our order was taken immediately and our ploughman's plate arrived right away. The sandwich my coworker order and my sausage roll were not far behind. Despite how busy everyone was we were checked on by pretty much every staff person to make sure we were happy and well fed. They seemed to genuinely care, which is a lovely feeling.May 17, 2013
Despite being a busy weekend morning Chef Anna Hunt was behind the counter by herself. She was kind of like a magician, floating back and forth between customers and cooking and connecting with her coworkers or organizing someone to be at home for child care but still balancing it all.

I was reflecting during an upcoming podcast recording with Cory Pelan from the Whole Beast that it's sometimes the owners that are the rockstars in the Victoria food scene, not so much the chefs because they are hidden away. Not so, here. I wonder if that instant feedback and connection to her customers is what made her want to move from the well-loved Paprika in Estevan Village to a smaller scale operation?